--- description: From Left, Right & Center to In the Thick, here are the best podcasts to listen to ahead of the 2020 election. title: The Best Politics Podcasts to Help You Make Sense of the 2020 Election image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltbdf413300e959a00/698a123109208f02014172a1/2020-best-politics-podcasts-featured-image.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [podcasts](/tag/podcasts/) ## podcasts Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # The Best Politics Podcasts to Help You Make Sense of the 2020 Election  by [Eliana Dockterman](/author/eliana-dockterman/)  ## Eliana Dockterman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Correspondent Updated: Dec 12, 2023 5:23 PM CUTPublished: Sep 23, 2020 2:48 PM CUT   by [Eliana Dockterman](/author/eliana-dockterman/)  ## Eliana Dockterman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Correspondent Updated: Dec 12, 2023 5:23 PM CUTPublished: Sep 23, 2020 2:48 PM CUT This is a strange and [confusing](https://time.com/5887437/conspiracy-theories-2020-election/ "undefined") election year—to put it mildly. And things have only gotten more anxiety-producing as the country awaits the final ballot count. It seems impossible to fathom how the [spread of COVID-19](https://time.com/5876599/election-2020-coronavirus/ "undefined"), [protests for racial justice](https://time.com/5852534/black-lives-matter-2020-elections-voting/ "undefined") across the country and a [vacant Supreme Court seat](https://time.com/5890850/supreme-court-vacancy-motivates-democrats/ "undefined") will factor into who wins the presidency. Dozens of excellent podcasts strive to offer answers to questions like, did the polls get it wrong? Why is it taking so long to count the ballots? And what happens if Biden wins and Trump won’t concede? These shows have been doing the hard work of reporting on this volatile election cycle for months. They [fact-check the candidates’ statements](https://time.com/5777914/fact-check-state-of-the-union-2020/ "undefined"). They explain what is happening in the news and why it matters. And they obsessively [track the polls](https://time.com/5891409/minnesota-trump-biden-2020/ "undefined"), while pressing upon listeners that they shouldn’t let leads in the race determine whether or not they actually decide to head to the voting booth (or put a stamp on their ballots). Some feature journalists who have reported on Donald Trump and Joe Biden for years, if not decades. Others rely on the expertise of advisors who worked on presidential [campaigns for Barack Obama](https://time.com/4556258/barack-obama-florida-campaign-livestream/ "undefined") or John McCain for insight into the 2020 race. These are just some of the best shows that you ought to tune into to keep up with the breakneck pace of political news as we await the results of one of the most complicated and impactful elections in American history. ## _Can He Do That?_ **Perfect for you if:** you want to understand the powers of the president  Ever since Donald Trump was elected president in 2016, the Washington _Post’_s Alison Michaels has interviewed other _Post_ reporters about the powers—and limits—granted to the American president. In the run-up to the election, the show has turned its attention to essential questions such as: What is the president’s power over the USPS? What sort of pressure can he exert over the FDA in the race toward a coronavirus vaccine? And how much federal force can the president use against protestors? Given President Trump’s fondness for executive orders, the answers will be crucial to understanding the 2020 election and how the powers of the president may be exercised in the future. _Listen on_ [_Apple Podcasts_](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/can-he-do-that/id1198238095 "undefined") _or_ [_Spotify_](https://open.spotify.com/show/7d3VDv4ekyUrfTaIB4hbqW?si=34Uf84oMS8ew2Qf6BrmXGQ "undefined") ## _CNN Political Briefing_ & _CNN Politically Sound_ **Perfect for you if:** you’re short on time  I’m cheating a bit here by pairing these two CNN podcasts together, but they have identical goals, just in two different formats—and differing levels of depth. _Politically Sound_ is a weekly show that churns through election news in 10 minutes or less. It does an excellent job of explaining what’s happening and connecting daily events to larger themes of the election in an incredibly short period of time. _CNN Political_ _Briefing_ offers the same content, but on a daily basis. David Chalian hosts both podcasts, though he’s joined by Nia-Malika Henderson on _Politically Sound_. Choose whichever better matches your current appetite for political news. _Listen to_ Political Briefing _on_ [_Apple Podcasts_](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cnn-political-briefing/id1527335630 "undefined") _or_ [_Spotify_](https://open.spotify.com/show/0LYuRAWU28TpZG1nrPSxol?si=u0O19V2dTcCtAsbBjjUaRg "undefined") _Listen to_ Politically Sound _on_ [_Apple Podcasts_](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/politically-sound/id1527335717 "undefined") _or_ [_Spotify_](https://open.spotify.com/show/52Yby5KeaaoEZVR1OiZ7GC?si=uq6CQIvhSia%5FJrjNHpsy0Q "undefined") ## _FiveThirtyEight Politics Podcast_ **Perfect for you if:** you want analysis of the polls  When it comes to breaking down political polls, Nate Silver and his team at FiveThirtyEight set the gold standard, and while Silver excels on doing just that on the podcast, he is also flanked by political journalists like Clare Malone, Micah Cohen, Perry Bacon Jr., Galen Druke and others who can offer boots-on-the-ground insight into voters’ thinking and how Biden’s and Trump’s respective narratives might be impacting those poll numbers. Together, they create a holistic picture of the horse race. And, as with their [updated Election Forecast](https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2020-election-forecast/ "undefined"), the team has been careful this year to contextualize and explain how the probabilities work as much as possible, so that listeners aren’t blindsided if the less-favored candidate wins. _Listen on_ [_Apple Podcasts_](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fivethirtyeight-politics/id1077418457 "undefined") _or_ [_Spotify_](https://open.spotify.com/show/3C0iP88KSoGZk5KNWmuyF1?si=d4IbS-A%5FQY64B39IUKji0g "undefined") ## _Hacks on Tap_ **Perfect for you if:** you want to know what both sides’ campaign managers are thinking right now  Campaign vets David Axelrod (a strategist for Barack Obama) and Mike Murphy (a strategist for John McCain) come together for a combative but friendly conversation about the 2020 campaign from the perspective of guys who have been there before. The show stands out because the two often exchange war stories from previous presidential campaigns and can offer insight into, say, how a candidate picks their running mate. They are from opposite sides of the aisle, and you will usually disagree with one of them, but perhaps that’s better than listening to hosts who align with all your political views. _Listen on_ [_Apple Podcasts_](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hacks-on-tap-with-david-axelrod-and-mike-murphy/id1467297559 "undefined") _or_ [_Spotify_](https://open.spotify.com/show/0u0bQ7Nf2FN9XiH9nluKo1?si=NjLsC84dTB2uV9Wwrb6urQ "undefined") ## _In the Thick_ **Perfect for you if:** you want to examine politics through the lens of race and identity  Politics reporting and punditry continue to be spaces dominated by white voices. Futuro Media Group’s _In the Thick_ hosts Maria Hinojosa and Julio Ricardo Varela do not shy away from from examining politics through the lens of race and identity. Along with a rotating weekly panel made up of journalists, academics and political insiders, they tackle issues concerning race that other outlets often overlook or de-emphasize. That frank conversation is needed now more than ever with conflicting narratives from the two presidential candidates about what the Black Lives Matter movement means for the election and future of the nation. _Listen on_ [_Apple Podcasts_](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-the-thick/id1083701291 "undefined") _or_ [_Spotify_](https://open.spotify.com/show/4F0wfZKQMnQX0xL4h6BGRe?si=OLo8Mn7eQzahWf58qLVqvw "undefined") ## _Left, Right & Center_ **Perfect for you if:** you want to hear what the other side thinks  As its name suggests, KCRW’s _Left, Right & Center_ features three panelists each week: one with political leanings to the left, one with political leanings to the right and a moderator, Josh Barro, in the center. The long-running podcast announced rotating panels over the summer and the most recent pairing, the New York _Times’_ Jamelle Bouie and _National Review’_s Michael Brendan Dougherty, showcase the best of the new format. They are able to debate and challenge one another on the truth behind the narratives arising from each side of the aisle in a way that’s both productive and educational for a listener who may not be exposed to people outside of their own political bubble. _Listen on_ [_Apple Podcasts_](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kcrws-left-right-center/id73329771 "undefined") _or_ [_Spotify_](https://open.spotify.com/show/21X49oNQyL8c6GKmgzjnmo?si=CzxGgtAnTdGqP7OGM17fLA "undefined") ## _POLITICO’s Nerdcast_ **Perfect for you if:** you want on-the-ground reporting about how this election is actually going to work  In each episode of _Nerdcast_, host Scott Bland talks with a different POLITICO reporter about their latest investigations, lately into issues like internal upheaval at USPS, the trials and errors of Zoom political fundraisers and how the logistics of a pandemic election are actually going to work. Amid countless podcasts following the horserace or debating the narratives of the 2020 election, it’s refreshing to listen to reporters answer very basic, often overlooked questions about how our democracy functions—or is failing to function—during a political race complicated by the pandemic. _Listen on_ [_Apple Podcasts_](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/politicos-nerdcast/id1111319839 "undefined") _or_ [_Spotify_](https://open.spotify.com/show/0YmkWN5cyxuqBh5Vl78yGp?si=NlfuzWVyQmKWJ%5FP69giL0w "undefined") ## _Pod is a Woman_ **Perfect for you if:** you want a discussion of the most important issues to women in this election  Three veterans of the Obama White House—Alejandra Campoverdi, Darienne Page and Johanna Maska—are producing a new and promising political podcast. They usually begin with a more wide-ranging conversation about the week’s political news, and each of the hosts brings her own background in politics to bear to analyze the candidates’ strategies. But most of the show is dedicated to interviews with women like former Second Lady Jill Biden, Time’s Up leader Tina Tchen and Sarah Lenti, the Executive Director of the Lincoln Project, about how they wield their power and advocate for wide range of issues. _Listen on_ [_Apple Podcasts_](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pod-is-a-woman/id1525719089 "undefined") _or_ [_Spotify_](https://open.spotify.com/show/7uqw8Ge2EwlTip4KOwBOqO?si=6FY-0DSfRk-k8mSh3AjECQ "undefined") ## _Pod Save America_ **Perfect for you if:** you want to hear interviews with the biggest names in the Democratic party  It’s impossible to write about political podcasting without recognizing the dominance of _Pod Save America_. The hosts—ex-Obama staffers Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, Dan Pfeiffer and Tommy Vietor—initially made a splash during the 2016 election with their bro-y, self-satisfied _Keeping It 1600_ podcast. After Hillary Clinton lost that election, the hosts kicked into high gear, establishing the activist-minded Crooked Media and spawning 18 other podcasts. But _Pod Save America_ remains their most essential listening because of its pull with big-name guests. They snagged Obama’s last interview of his presidency, and since then it’s become a necessary pit stop for every major player in the Democratic Party, including Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris and Joe Biden. _Listen on_ [_Apple Podcasts_](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pod-save-america/id1192761536 "undefined") _or_ [_Spotify_](https://open.spotify.com/show/5JGorGvdwljJHTl6wpMXN3?si=7dWxMIAmR0eSXBWL291tvQ "undefined") ## _Rational Security_ **Perfect for you if:** you’re interested in foreign policy and national security, particularly election interference  Listening to the Lawfare Institute’s _Rational_ _Security_ podcast feels like having an intellectually engaging but enjoyable policy debate with your nerdy friends—if your friends just happened to be experts in national security and the law. Given that so many podcasts discuss political news more broadly, the specificity of this one is truly a boon to politics wonks: The Washington _Post’_s Shane Harris and his panel of Brookings Institute scholars—Tamara Cofman Wittes, Benjamin Wittes and Susan Hennessey—can really dig into and debate complex arguments, lately with an eye toward foreign interest and interference in the 2020 U.S. election. _Listen on_ [_Apple Podcasts_](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rational-security/id956270301 "undefined") _or_[ _Spotify_](https://open.spotify.com/show/3OWiXnyWQkc72SybaflJnc?si=thfjy0%5F2Stuzjc%5Frpc7fag "undefined") ## _Slate’s Political Gabfest_ **Perfect for you if:** you want to listen to an intellectual debate that’s been waging for 15 years and counting  Hosts John Dickerson, David Plotz and Emily Bazelon have been debating politics since this podcast launched in 2005, and they have cultivated the sort of well-honed dynamic that can only be earned after years of weekly debates about topics like healthcare policy and voter suppression. They often disagree, amicably, which makes for a much more intellectually engaging listen than a political podcast full of simpatico guests and hosts. For those who have listened for years, tuning in can be a comfort. For newcomers, it’s rare to find a podcast where the hosts can disagree without taking trumped-up stances they maybe don’t even fully intellectually endorse for the sake of creating conflict. _Listen on_ [_Apple Podcasts_](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/political-gabfest/id158004641 "undefined") _or_[ _Spotify_](https://open.spotify.com/show/2oXS9kkKiXdkkCYB3YfqYZ?si=UeiRNORwTmW8gF2fu%5FEtbQ "undefined") ## _Stay Tuned With Preet_ **Perfect for you if:** you want to understand the legal complexities of this election  Sometimes it feels like every politician has a podcast these days. Many are self-promotional and offer little insight into the politician herself or D.C.’s inner workings. But former U.S Attorney Preet Bharara’s CAFE podcast is a show of substance. Bharara, who served under Obama and was [fired by Trump](https://www.cnn.com/2017/09/20/politics/preet-bharara-podcast-trump-firing/index.html "undefined"), delves into social justice issues and politics with guests, often famous ones like Senator Cory Booker and journalist Jake Tapper. Bharara’s show is at its best when he’s able to bring his legal expertise to discussions about topics like Robert Mueller’s investigation or the ethics of using unidentified federal agents at protests in Portland. And if, as [some](https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/09/terrifying-inadequacy-american-election-law/616072/ "undefined") [political](https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-09-17/vision-2020-what-happens-if-the-us-election-is-contested "undefined") [prognosticators](https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/09/the-system-for-resolving-a-contested-election-is-also-a-mess.html "undefined") have warned, the election results are contested, he will undoubtedly be an essential voice to guide listeners through the legal process. _Listen on_ [_Apple Podcasts_](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stay-tuned-with-preet/id1265845136 "undefined") _or_ [_Spotify_](https://open.spotify.com/show/2FKKBenMavZsJQrtrqQU6N?si=tnbm5-nzTdKN7xkTNOXiBA "undefined") ## _The Brown Girls Guide to Politics_ **Perfect for you if:** you want to meet some truly remarkable BIPOC women running for office  This Wonder Media Network show highlights some seriously badass BIPOC women in politics who unfortunately don’t get the platform they ought to have on other podcasts. Host A’shanti Gholar interviews women like Representative Barbara Lee of California and Virginia Delegate and gubernatorial candidate Jennifer Carroll Foy about their experiences and work in short, digestible 20-minute episodes. Their career paths are truly fascinating and inspiring—Delegate Foy, for instance, became one of the first women to graduate from Virginia Military Institute and ran for and won her office while pregnant with twins. _Listen on_ [_Apple Podcasts_](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brown-girls-guide-to-politics/id1457611450 "undefined") _or_ [_Spotify_](https://open.spotify.com/show/1LQSy4W55tAAuqxzrbuOYd?si=upRuX3a-Tf-LsC30TFUBVg "undefined") ## _The NPR Politics Podcast_ **Perfect for you if:** you want to know what happened in the political world today and why  Need an update on the political happenings of the day? NPR has got you. But unlike a lot of straight news NPR shows, the _NPR Politics Podcast_ allows its correspondents’ personalities to shine. They crack jokes and offer small anecdotes as they deliver the daily news and contextualize the daily barrage of political news within the larger conversations around issues like racial justice, the pandemic and Russian interference on Facebook headed into the election. If you prefer not to tune in every single day, they also produce a weekly roundup of news to catch you up on the most important stories and analysis. _Listen on_ [_Apple Podcasts_](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-npr-politics-podcast/id1057255460 "undefined") _or_ [_Spotify_](https://open.spotify.com/show/2PnWnDNwU3wKesCHCpy252?si=B83NiwUIRkSK0kfG5-EOsg "undefined") ## _The Weeds_ **Perfect for you if:** you are a policy wonk  In order to manage your election anxiety, you may want to dig deep into policy, polls and punditry. If so, Vox’s _The Weeds_ podcast was made for you: some combination of Matthew Yglesias, Ezra Klein, Sarah Kliff, Jane Coaston and Dara Lind come together twice a week to discuss everything from what the Republican Party was actually trying to say about itself and its future at the [Republican National Convention](https://time.com/5883905/republican-convention-coronavirus-trump-pence/ "undefined") to the finer points of the “White Paper of the week.” Yglesias has been known to antagonize other pundits and journalists on Twitter and surely takes up points on the podcast that feel designed to irk his fellow hosts, but that makes for a lively debate. _Listen on_ [_Apple Podcasts_](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-weeds/id1042433083 "undefined") _or_ [_Spotify_](https://open.spotify.com/show/1vSUO6Bg4abtjRF7fnGpT1?si=QYNcYTZIRs6-toyZD9zuuA "undefined") **Correction, Sept. 24** _The original version of this story misstated the release schedule of two CNN podcasts._ Politically Sound _is a weekly show, not a daily show, while_ CNN Political Briefing _is a daily show, not a weekly show._ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5883606/best-political-podcasts-2020/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5883606/best-political-podcasts-2020/"},"headline":"The Best Politics Podcasts to Help You Make Sense of the 2020 Election","datePublished":"2020-09-23T14:48:39.000Z","dateModified":"2023-12-12T17:23:16.000Z","description":"From Left, Right & Center to In the Thick, here are the best podcasts to listen to ahead of the 2020 election","url":"https://time.com/5883606/best-political-podcasts-2020/","keywords":["podcasts","list"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltbdf413300e959a00/698a123109208f02014172a1/2020-best-politics-podcasts-featured-image.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Eliana Dockterman","jobTitle":"Correspondent","url":"https://time.com/author/eliana-dockterman/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltbdf413300e959a00/698a123109208f02014172a1/2020-best-politics-podcasts-featured-image.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"2020-best-politics-podcasts-featured-image","caption":"","creditText":"","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/podcasts/","name":"podcasts"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5883606/best-political-podcasts-2020/","name":"The Best Politics Podcasts to Help You Make Sense of the 2020 Election"}}]}] ```